by Jaymin Eve
The wizard was right in the center, his energy joining with the others. They were holding the dozen or so demon touched for now, but none were banished yet. I wasn’t sure they had the power, which meant we really needed Louis. I didn’t know where the sorcerer had gone, and whether any modern technology worked there. But hopefully one of these magic users did.
Tyson nodded, his golden features pale. “Yes, he’s on the way. He doesn’t know if he got enough stuff for Kristoff though. Gonna have to wing it. These demon bastards are strong. I had no idea how damn strong.”
From the corner of my eye I noticed a couple of bears break away from the fighting group and turn toward the magic users. I nudged Braxton and he roared. With a crouching leap, the dragon-man jumped clear over the sorcerers closest to us. Friggin’ showoff. Not one to be outdone, I followed suit, amazed that I cleared the supes by a good few feet.
Bushidō was already out of her sheath and in my hand. I wasn’t screwing around anymore. This shit had to end now. The bears had pushed too far. They were exiled from Stratford and would never hold a seat on the council if I had anything to do with it. A slight weakness was starting to filter through my limbs, and I knew it was from Tyson. He was throwing everything he had into the spell to hold the demon touched. Here’s hoping it was enough.
“Melly!” Braxton roared. The huge bear he was engaged with was none other than the dishonorable cowardly puncher.
I shook my head, focusing on the other one. Melly should start praying that Braxton was in a generous mood, and decided to finish him quickly. The sun was rising across the horizon, low light filtering through to where all the fighting was taking place. Blood and bodies littered the ground for a good hundred feet around, and it did not make me happy to see so many of my people needlessly cut down in their prime. The bears had let their own need for power, and the bitterness of a lost leadership, cloud their judgment, and now their pack was going to be wiped from the world.
It was frustrating, and it pissed me off, but there were no second chances with a thing like this. It was either Vanguard for life or death. Associating with demons was an automatic life sentence.
Silver glinted in the sunlight as my blade sliced across the bear’s meaty shoulder. This one was female. She roared, standing taller and swiping down on me with both paws. Her claws could easily eviscerate a supe if they connected. I darted to the side and slid across the bloody ground before coming up behind the shifter. She was slow to spin around; I had already cut along two major arteries in her body. She swiped at me again, jerky this time, and with a shake of her huge head, her legs collapsed beneath her and she hit the ground. Hard enough to rock it a little.
A glance to my left told me that Braxton had wasted no time on Melly. The bear was in about eight pieces, scattered around him. My brother was standing there, fury radiating off him, and I knew he was pretty close to losing his shit.
Brax, I called through our bond, trying to bring him back to me. You got him, brother. Jess is gonna kick your ass for not letting her have that kill.
The mention of his mate brought a flicker of life in his eyes. “Yeah, she’s already pissed at me. But at least she’s safe, staying put.”
I had been blocking Mischa out as much as possible, mainly because the moment I felt her soft energy caressing mine I wanted to run to her. I couldn’t do that. My people needed me here, and she was safe in our house.
Still. You okay, gorgeous?
A slightly irritated tone was in her reply. I’m fine. I know you said you were going to shut the bond down, but I’d still like some updates. Ass.
I chuckled, out loud. Her fire … I was starting to crave it.
Sorry. As you can see, pretty much chaos. I let the images filter through my mind, and despite her upbringing she did not flinch at the carnage.
Stay safe, Max. And come back soon. Jess is about five minutes from escaping. It’s taking all of my distracting skills to keep her here.
I’ll bet. Love you, baby.
I love you too.
Those soft words were enough to send sparks of warmth through me.
The demon touched were pretty much the last of the bears left, a dozen male and female supes, standing motionless. Although, I could see that some of them were starting to move, very slowly. The magic users were losing them.
A step-through opened then in the space just beyond the forest, behind the demon bears. Only one person had the power and ability to open directly into Stratford without worry for the securities. Louis was back. The sorcerer strode free; he was decked out in a long black cloak and snow-covered boots. Clearly those ingredients he’d been collecting were in the arctic.
His face was scary as he walked without pause toward the immobilized group of bears. The magic users holding them were definitely starting to struggle, and the relief on their faces spoke volumes. Louis had the strap of a satchel bag strung across his shoulder, the pouch flapping against his legs. He reached into the bag and withdrew a large jar of something.
When he was about a yard from the demon touched, he smashed the jar on the ground and thrust both of his hands skyward.
“Cresta demonica turnitalia reform.”
His words ignited a fire in the very space he’d smashed the spell. The flames were tinged with a green-yellow hue, and they were suddenly eight feet high. The magic users who’d been holding the demons started to chant the same words as Louis. Cresta demonica turnitalia reform. Over and over. Each time the flames grew higher, spreading in a circle around the bears.
Louis clasped his raised hands together, and the smacking of palms was much louder than I’d expected.
His next words were echoing and heavy with power. “You have broken the cardinal law of supernatural peace time. You have invoked powers beyond your ken and now you must pay the price. The demons will not stop coming now that they have a portal to this world. The only way to close it down is to send you back as tribute. You, bear shifters of the Tressa clan, are sentenced to an eternity in the demon realm. You’ll know suffering unlike any other. You’ll wish for death. You’ll never return to our plane. May the gods take mercy on your souls.”
Misty wisps of energy burst from Louis. The fire roared a hundred feet into the air, completely engulfing the dozen shifters on all sides.
The roar of the flame was almost deafening. The magic users continued chanting the spell; the area was thick with magic and energy. The power from Louis waned then, and the flames began to flicker and die off. By the time the yellow and green plume was gone, there was nothing left in the middle except a black ring on the ground.
Louis spoke with urgency, striding forward to his people. “We need to sanctify and seal this space. There’s a weakness here now to the demon world, and that cannot be left untouched.”
The magic users scattered, most of them looking like two steps from death, but that didn’t stop them jumping when Louis ordered it.
He crossed to us. “They’re going to gather the ingredients we need. This should be all over soon.”
Jacob and Tyson were by my side now. Braxton too. The four of us exchanged an uneasy stare.
“It’s not really over, though,” said Tyson. “Kristoff is still out there, probably creating more demon touched. What the hell was the point of this?” He sounded a little breathless, and I was glad that he’d been joined with us during the fight. Our strength as a unit of four had helped tremendously.
“Those demons were all upper level,” Louis said. “Not as strong as Kristoff’s, but I would say they were in his army of souls. I had to use most of the spell and energy I had to return them. That’s why you all had so much trouble holding them.” His flat eyes met Tyson’s. “If you hadn’t been here, and been able to tap into the quad bond, they would have overrun you. It was a good plan. I’ve never seen so many upper level demons on this plane.”
A sense of unease was stealing along my spine. “So where is Kristoff then? Why wasn’t he here adding his energy to the collective
. With his demon they’d have succeeded. I mean, he couldn’t have thought the bear clan stood a chance against us, so what was the point?”
For probably the first time in my life I saw Louis look uneasy. “I don’t like it either. It was almost as if this entire thing was a distraction. But to what end?”
My own unease intensified, and with a start I reached through my bond to check on Mischa.
Misch. Everything okay?
My words shattered at the end of the connection, unable to reach her. I should have realized earlier, when the weakness first started invading my body, that it wasn’t just about Tyson, it was also about Mischa. She was being blocked from me by a thick darkness.
I jerked my head to find Braxton. He stood with his eyes closed, small growls rocking from him.
“Jessa?”
He shook his head.
“Me either.” I was growling too.
The vampire inside of me roared to life. I was already moving before another word was spoken. Looked like Kristoff had been using the bears as a distraction to get to the girls.
This time I knew he’d stop at nothing until they were dead. He hated us and wanted our suffering more than anything else, and targeting our mates was the worst punishment he could inflict on us.
We had to stop him before it was too late.
Mischa Lebron
I was starting to agree with Jessa, being left behind while others went off to the battlefield really sucked the big one. Especially when it was our pack and they were facing an unknown enemy.
I’d just finished checking in on Maximus, and he was doing okay. Said the battle was wrapping up, but still there was some uneasiness in my body. I was sprawled back on the couch, television on, some movie playing in the background. Jessa was pacing the floor in front of me.
“You getting anything from Braxton?” I asked her. Maximus had me locked out again, although thankfully I could tell he was okay – a few bumps and scratches but nothing life threatening.
“He just killed Melly and now they’re dealing with the demon-touched.” She growled a little as she paced, one hand pressed against her belly, the other waving in the air. “That slimy asshole was supposed to be mine to torture, but no, Braxton had to go all dragon on him and rip his body into a dozen pieces.”
The mental images of that set off a faint churning in my stomach. The damn thing had been upset since I woke. “He loves you, Jess. That’s his way of showing you.”
She snorted. “Reminds me of this cat which somehow stowed away and got in through the securities here. It used to leave dead birds on my doorstep. Presents for me. At times it feels a little like Braxton learned about love from that cat.”
I burst into laughter at the thought of Braxton in dragon form leaving dead supes on her doorstep. Jessa must have picked up on the image too, and she lost it with me, both of us clutching our stomachs and hoping not to go into early labor. “Don’t give him any ideas,” she finally gasped through her laughter. “He would love to round up everyone who’s ever hurt me and make them suffer. The man in him cannot stand my pain, and the dragon wants to inflict similar back.
It was really sweet, in a sociopathic kinda way. Truth be told, I felt that way about Maximus now. I wanted to kill Kristoff and Cardia – if she’d still been alive – for the parts they played in causing him pain.
Jessa froze in her pacing, and a beat later I felt a fissure go across the house. Our eyes locked, both of us still and patient, waiting to see what this change was from. Something powerful was close to us, and I knew by instinct it wasn’t the boys.
I reached for Maximus, hoping he would tell me what was coming, but the bond between us was gone. Or not exactly gone, but completely muted so I could barely feel him.
“Jess, what could mute a true mate bond?”
Her blue eyes were wide and glassy. “Nothing that I know of. But I can’t feel Braxton, so again, it seems as if the school texts need to be rewritten.”
I swallowed hard, trying to calm the fear brewing in my chest. “Could a high level demon do it?”
I could feel him coming now, that same dark, oily energy from when he had held me captive. Kristoff had somehow figured out where we were. He was going to attack while our pack was busy with the bears.
I was on my feet with Jessa, both of us moving toward the stairs. “We need weapons,” she said. “Follow me.”
I expected her to rush up the stairs, but instead she veered off and led me to a small door on the side of the staircase. At first it seemed like nothing more than a simple wooden door carved into the wall, but when Jessa pulled it open, inside was a damn weapon factory.
We both ducked our heads and squeezed in together. The space was about six feet by six; weapons lined each wall. I’d been doing some training lately with a long blade, and that was what I grabbed. Jessa went for about eight different things, including throwing knives and a crossbow.
“So Kristoff is coming, right?” she asked as we stepped back into the main room.
I nodded. “Yep, definitely his oily stench.”
Jessa didn’t even flinch. Her face set into hard lines and she was all warrior.
“We can’t let him touch us or the demon will have a portal to our soul – you’ll always have to be careful of one of them trying to take you over. We’re mated to Compasses, we should be safe. They’re powerful enough to resist the demon … but better for us to be safe than sorry.”
I nodded, the tightness in my chest increasing. “I just wish our babies weren’t so vulnerable right now,” I whispered. “Even though they’re safely inside, it’s easy to hurt them and us because we can’t fight properly.”
Jessa’s eyes crinkled as her face crumpled. “We have to keep them safe, Misch. I can’t live in a world without my kids. It’s just not an option.”
It really wasn’t. We had to protect them.
A groan near the living room of the house had us both on high alert. “Why aren’t we running?” I whispered as Jessa crouched lower and started creeping from the room.
She glanced back for a beat. “He has the house locked down, energy coating the outside. It’s what’s blocking our mate bonds. We wouldn’t be able to break through it without hurting ourselves considerably.”
Of course. I should have expected that. He wanted us trapped like rats in a maze. Jessa was clearly not one to hide and wait for the enemy to find her, and I was down with that. The sorcerer had almost killed my daughter. He was top of my shit list.
Both of us silently stepped forward. My wolf was rising in my body, adding her senses to my own. I could scent the darkness of the devil in our pack house, and I wanted him out before he could taint everything.
Another twinge rocked across my stomach then, and I silently sent a request for her to please wait another few days before coming into the world. Right now I had no time for labor. Jessa and I halted on the edge of the front hallway. Kristoff was just standing in the living room, looking calm and crazy as heck.
“Hello there.”
Anger caressed me as I stared him down. There was nothing left in his eyes now, just a reflective darkness which was all demon.
“My name is Davind,” the demon wearing Kristoff’s skin said, bowing slightly to us. “I’m a king of my kind, and my demon-kin need freedom. Our world is a desolate and dead land. Earth seems to be the perfect plane to exist in.”
Right, so Kristoff was no more. Davind had complete control.
Jessa straightened. “What do you want with us then? Shouldn’t you be off bringing demons to Earth.”
He turned those dead eyes on her and a grin lifted his cheeks. “If only it was as easy as that, but I see luck had doubly rewarded me this day. I was here for the powerful child within this one.” He pointed at me. “But now I see that what I really should have been chasing was the two you carry … dragon born.”
Holy shit. Jessa’s wolf burst to life in her eyes, and ferocious growls echoed across the room. “You’ll never touch
them,” she snarled.
He still hadn’t moved. His total calm was unnerving. “Unfortunately I need the power in their souls. I can use the two females to open a permanent portal between our worlds, and I think I’ll keep the boy. He’ll be mine to control. I’ll never need fear another demon-kin or supe again.”
The two females … he was talking about our daughters, about harming their precious, tiny bodies and using their souls to power a portal. Jessa and I reacted in the same instance. She had the crossbow up and firing, while I flung my blade at him. With my wolf’s help, it landed right on target.
Except this demon could disappear. In a blink he was in a new spot across the room. Jessa must have anticipated this because she had already started firing again, and two of her arrows hit their target, burying deep in his chest. Of course, that didn’t seem to bother the demon.
He muttered something, and an echoing noise rocked through the room, and with a blast of something like a soundwave, Jessa and I were thrown back a few yards. As the energy crashed through us, I shrieked and clutched at my stomach. Next to me Jessa did the same.
“What’s happening!” I screamed as sharp pains stabbed into me, tightening everything inside of my entire abdomen and lower back. Jessa started huffing at my side. “I would guess that this is labor.”
WHAT. THE. FUCK?
Okay, no one had told me labor was going to feel like someone was peeling my insides out with a blunt knife. It was brutal in a way I had not expected. What had the demon done to us?
I crouched forward, trying to ease the ache. After about eight seconds – or eighty, it was hard to tell – the pain eased off and we both were able to breathe deeply.
Kristoff-demon still had not moved, except to yank out the arrows. “I’ve used a spell to induce labor. These children are no use to me while still inside of you. I would suggest you make yourselves comfortable somewhere. They’ll be here momentarily.”
Why was he still talking? Why wasn’t he dead already? I could feel the pain starting to barrel through me again; there was no way to stay upright. I fell to my hands and knees, rocking back and forth to try and ease the agony.
